Caught Between a Lie and True Love (Caught Between series Book 1) (13 page)

Jeb touched her shoulder. “I noticed you let Harry call you Mattie.”

If he’d heard that, what else had he overheard? Matilda gripped the pen in her hand. “Harry Malone is an ass. Mark my words, Jeb. He can’t be trusted. He’ll pretend to be your best friend one moment, then the next, he’ll stab you in the heart.”

“You mean, in the back.”

She huffed out a snort. “Yeah, sure, whatever.”

But that’s not what she meant.

Matilda’s shoulders sagged.

Harry’s betrayal felt like a piercing to her heart. She sucked in a breath, tuned out his loud familiar voice, and focused on the sheet of paper before her. The letters squiggled and jumbled across the page, and she had to blink back tears to stop them from spilling over.

Jeb nudged her shoulder. “Are you okay, Matilda?”

She steeled her backbone, resolution in the firm tone of her voice. After all, she’d survived worse things than Harry’s betrayal. Her only daughter’s death. “Never better.”

As they finished up the paperwork, handed it to the clerk, and turned to leave, Harry’s voice boomed across the small entranceway. “Brody has my support, Mattie, which means he has the support of everyone I know.”

She lengthened her stride, knowing Jeb could easily match it. “Jeb, if you want to win, we’re going to need a wicked campaign. You make sure your family is there to support you every step of the way, including shaking hands and kissing babies.”

Her footsteps didn’t falter as she hurried to get away from the man who’d claimed her heart during those Tuesday and Thursday night romps in her bed.

Harry knew everyone in town. They all loved and respected him and would follow his lead.

But they loved her, too, and with the Ladies Society backing her—well, half of them anyway—they’d put up a good fight.

And they’d win.

Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Harry’s gloating turn to dust, his glower permanently etched into her thoughts.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Paige busied herself in the front yard, watering Gram’s flower pots, her attention split between pinching off finished blossoms and Brody’s return home.

The kiss they’d shared had stunned her into silence, so that when he received the text message from Delores and rushed out to sign the nomination papers to run for Mayor, she’d missed her chance to warn him about Jeb’s bid for Mayor.

Even now, all she could seem to think about was the kiss.

The memory of the taste of him, the feel of his hand cupping her breast, sent a rush of heat to her lower abdomen. It had been so long since she’d felt desire of this magnitude that she almost didn’t know what to do with the feeling.

Over the tall hedges of the front yard, she saw the top of his head bob as he walked down the sidewalk. She sprinted down the driveway, rounded the corner of the hedges, and as she came face to face with Brody and Delores, her footsteps faltered and she stopped.

Her attention fixed on Brody first, the confidence in his stride, the casual way he interacted with the tall blonde at his side. When he noticed Paige standing there, his jaw flexed and his gaze heated.

Oh yeah, it wasn’t all in her head. He’d been involved too.

She turned her attention to the perfectly poised, perfectly put together woman at his side.

Delores looked great, making Paige feel plain in her t-shirt and sweats. The other woman was dressed in a crisp white shirt and a form fitting pencil skirt. Her high heels clicked against the cement below her feet, and her long shapely legs easily kept up to Brody’s stride.

She’d always admired Delores’s ability to look so put together, been envious of her confidence and popularity. She pushed the jealousy aside—pushed aside the memory of Brody’s hard abs and rough hands—and focused on saving the residents of the island from her dad and his manipulations.

But then Paige noticed something else…the way the other woman looked at Brody as if he was a cherished possession.

When Delores spotted Paige, a big almost scary smile blossomed across her face. Hand outstretched, she quickened her pace and got ahead of Brody.

“Paige Calhoun. Why, it’s been so many years, you probably don’t even recognize me.”

Paige smiled back and shook her hand. “Of course I remember you, Delores. You were the most popular girl in school.”

The other woman beamed as though she’d just won a prize. “Thank you. I still live across the alley from your grandma whom I might add, I absolutely adore. While you’re here, maybe we can get together and catch up.”

Surprised, Paige nodded. “Of course, that would be lovely.”

Delores’s phone played
Girls Just Want To Have Fun
, and she pulled it out of her skirt pocket and glanced at the screen, then turned to Brody. “I’ll catch up with you later and we’ll start getting those signs put up. I have some business I need to take care of first. How about if we meet in an hour?”

Hands in his pockets, he nodded. “I promised Olivia I’d clean her eaves troughs. How does two hours sound?”

“Great.” She gave Paige a little wave. “It’s so nice to see you again.”

As she headed off, cutting through Gram’s yard, Paige focused on Brody and the reason she’d needed to talk to him. “Matilda convinced my dad to run for Mayor. I’m so sorry. I’ll try to get him to withdraw, but when he gets his mind on something, he’s impossible to deal with.”

“I know. I ran into him down at Town Hall.” He stepped closer and tucked an errant lock of hair behind her ear. His hand settled around the back of her neck. “So I guess this means Starr can’t be friends with Hope anymore, huh?”

She sighed and repressed the urge to lean into him. He was so close, she could feel his body heat. “Maybe we can leave the girls out of this. They’re just hanging out together. It’s not like they even have an interest in the election. So what harm can it do?”

“What harm indeed?” he murmured. His gaze remained steady on her face. “What about us?”

“Us?” She shrugged. “It won’t do your campaign any good to be seen with me.”

A throat cleared, startling them both, bringing them around. Jeb grabbed Paige by the arm and tugged her away from Brody. “Come again when you can’t stay so long.”

Brody’s gaze settled on Paige for a moment before he gave a nod. “See you around, little girl.”

As he wandered off, Paige shook loose of her dad’s grip.

Her dad released her. “Was that young man bothering you? I can have a word with him, if you’d like.”

She raised one brow. “The day I need your protection is long gone.”

His shoulders slumped and he appeared truly dejected. “Too bad, Buttercup. I would’ve liked to have done one
dad
thing in my life.”

“If you want to do something nice for me, you can drop out of the Mayor’s race.”

“Too late, Buttercup. I’m committed.” He turned and strolled up the driveway. “You shouldn’t be consorting with the enemy.”

Paige followed him. “Brody isn’t the enemy.”

“He’s my opponent. That makes him the enemy.” As she fell into step beside him, he slid her a calculating look. “At least in public.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

He got a crafty look on his face. “You like him, don’t you.” His gaze skimmed across her face. “You take after your mother, so I’ll bet he likes you too. Men always liked your mother.”

Paige felt her face heat and her temper rise, but she remained calm and focused. “What you’re doing is wrong, Dad. The people here deserve someone vested in the island’s future.”

Jeb continued as though she hadn’t said a word. “Maybe you could distract him, Buttercup. You were always good at that.”

He held the screen door open for her and, stunned silent by his suggestion, she walked into the kitchen where Gram and Starr sat at the kitchen table snapping the ends off the beans.

Behind her, Jeb announced, “Start making signs, girls. It’s official. I’ve signed the papers. I’m running for Mayor.”

Starr glanced up, interest in her gaze. “Is this how you find your pot of gold at the end of the rainbow?”

Jeb turned a glare on Paige. “Is that what your mother told you about me?”

Gram jumped into the conversation. “What’s this?”

Jeb puffed out his chest. “Matilda nominated me for Mayor. We just signed the official papers.”

Paige sat down next to Starr and grabbed a bean. “This is a horrible idea.” Especially when someone uncovered the fact that he was more interested in scamming the neighbors instead of leading the town.

But all her dad could do was puff out his chest and smile. “Have faith, Buttercup. I’ll make a great Mayor. All you have to do is play the part of a supportive and loving daughter.”

Gram grabbed the last bean off the table. “You can’t put a sign on my front lawn. I already told Brody he could do that.”

Jeb glared across the room at her. “Traitor.”

Starr pushed up from the table. “Hope told me that if Brody doesn’t win the Mayor’s race, she’ll have to go live with her grandma.”

Paige slumped back on the chair.

Brody's chances against Jeb were pretty slim. Her dad exuded charm like it was second nature. He could fool anyone into anything.

Wiping her hands on her t-shirt, Starr headed for the back door. “If we’re done here, I’m going over to Hope’s.”

Gram stood, fists on hips. “Bring that girl back here and you can both help me in the garden.”

Starr grabbed a ball cap and pulled it onto her head. “Gardens are stupid.”

Olivia fixed Starr with a stare. “You’re stupid.”

“Am not. I got A’s in all of my classes—”

“You probably cheated and copied from the smart kid beside you.”

Paige covered her ears, fed up with their bickering. “Enough already. If you can’t get along, then don’t talk to each other.”

Gram muttered, “What’s the fun in that?”

Starr opened the screen door and headed outside, moaning, “I want to go home.”

“Go ahead, girl. I’ll even pack you a lunch, help you run away—”

“
Gram
.” Paige watched her grandma follow the teenager out of the house. She’d have to deal with Starr later because she could only handle one fight at a time.

As Jeb headed for the other door, she stepped in front of him before he could escape. He kept one wary eye on her and crossed his fingers over his heart. “This is on the up and up, God’s honest truth, Buttercup.”

She didn’t believe him. As far as she was concerned, he lied about everything. “You know what it’s like in the public eye. People dig for dirt. Aren’t you worried that sooner or later the truth will get out?”

He glanced at his watch. “Can you hurry the lecture up? I’m meeting Matilda so we can start knocking on doors and campaigning.”

Paige lowered her voice. “What happens when they do a background check on you? Gram is going to be hurt when the truth comes out.”

“You worry too much, Buttercup. My Jeb Calhoun name is clean. All my other—” He glanced over his shoulder at each door, then lowered his voice. “All my other business is under a different name.”

She tried another tactic. “It’s not just Gram. If what Starr says is true, then you’re impeding Brody’s chance to gain custody of his daughter.”

His gaze fixed on her, the one that he used when he was determined to get his way. “What if I told people the truth about your grandma?”

Okay, that definitely stopped her. “Gram? What about her?”

He loomed over her, dark and dangerous, so unlike the affable man of a moment ago. “Your grandmother is the one—”

The kitchen door banged open and Lisa jogged in. “Water,” she gasped.

Jeb straightened, and with a one fingered salute toward his ex-wife, he said, “Start making Vote for Jeb signs, darlin’.”

And then he hustled past Lisa and headed for the front door, leaving Paige alone with everything in a mess.

Like he always did.

Ignoring the woman who’d interrupted them, Paige spun on her heels and stormed toward the back door.

Behind her, Lisa panted, “Was it something I said?”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

When Brody walked into the kitchen, he found Hope playing through the messages on the answering machine.

“Grandma called,” she said.
Punch, beep, delete. Punch, beep, delete
. “Like about ten dozen times. It’s your turn to call her back.”

Their dislike of Matilda was the only thing they really had in common. He knew he shouldn’t encourage Hope’s bad behavior toward her grandma, but the old bat had given him no other choice.

Brody snagged a piece of paper and started writing out a list of chores. “It’s never my turn to call her back.”

“Why not?”

“Because she’s your grandma.”

“But she loves to hear your voice.”

He stopped writing and raised his gaze, noting the sweet tone of her voice, the even sweeter smile she gave him. Sweet and phony. In response, he snorted. “Right. That’s why she hangs up when I answer the phone.”

A dejected, “Lucky you,” was all she said.

She returned to the messages.
Punch, beep, delete. Punch beep, delete
.

Brody’s attention drifted from the dejected teen to the house next door.

Paige Calhoun.

When had she turned into a knock out that knocked his socks off and the breath from his lungs. He shouldn’t be thinking of all the ways he could seduce her. No. He had other concerns.

Like keeping custody of his daughter. And winning the election, especially now that he had an opponent.

Brody turned his attention back to his daughter and handed her the list. “Here, this is for you.”

She reached out reluctantly and took it from him. “What is it?”

“Your list of chores. Now that you’re grounded, you’ll have plenty of time to get them done.”

She studied the list for a minute, the frown on her forehead deepening. “You’ve got to be kidding. Paint the fence. Mow the lawn. Weed the flowerbeds. And that’s only the good stuff.” Her gaze turned calculated. “Grandma wouldn’t ground me.”

“Then go live with your grandma,” he muttered, then noticing the crestfallen expression on her face, instantly regretted his words. “You’re better off with me. I’m teaching you to be responsible for your actions.”